Tarleton State University leaders, faculty, staff and students joined The Texas A&M System and community leaders Wednesday morning for a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the opening of the eight-story, 228,000-square-foot Texas A&M-Fort Worth Law and Education Building. The facility is the first academic building on the new 3.5-acre downtown campus and marks Tarleton State’s continued expansion in North Texas through system partnership.
Tarleton State’s presence reflects the collaborative model behind Texas A&M-Fort Worth, which brings universities, state agencies and industry partners together on one downtown campus.
“As North Texas continues to grow, Tarleton State University is expanding programs that align with the region’s evolving workforce needs,” said Tarleton State President Dr. James Hurley. “Biotechnology, biomedical science, medical laboratory science and histotechnology offer students strong career pathways while supplying employers with highly skilled graduates. Our partnership at Texas A&M-Fort Worth demonstrates what is possible when institutions work together to advance student success and regional growth.”
Occupying three floors of the building, Tarleton State will offer academic programs in biotechnology, biomedical science, medical laboratory science and histotechnology, with later plans to include graduate-level nursing and integrative biology. The university will also provide short-term, noncredit training through its Office of Extended Education and Workforce Development.
“The Law and Education Building enables us to place high-demand health sciences and STEM-related programs in the heart of Fort Worth’s new Switchyard Innovation District,” said Dr. Rachael Capua, Vice President for External Operations and Dean of Tarleton State Fort Worth. “This location will give students valuable access to clinical, laboratory and workforce partners while helping address critical needs in a rapidly growing region.”
Tarleton State’s presence in Fort Worth dates to 1978, when the university began offering medical laboratory science classes on West Myrtle Street. The university later operated at several locations, including the Richard C. Schaffer Educational Building on Enderly Place and the Hickman Building on Camp Bowie Boulevard, before expanding to Tarleton State University Fort Worth along Chisholm Trail Parkway.
The ceremony also included a groundbreaking for Research and Innovation Building A, the second facility planned for Texas A&M-Fort Worth. The building is expected to support public- and private-sector research in engineering, aerospace, agriculture, health sciences and emergency response. Tarleton State plans to house its Institute for Biotechnology Research and Innovation there and expand medical laboratory science research.
To learn more about Tarleton State Fort Worth, visit tarleton.edu/fortworth/.
A founding member of The Texas A&M System, Tarleton State University is breaking records — in enrollment, research, scholarship, athletics, philanthropy and engagement — while transforming the lives of more than 21,000 students in Stephenville, Fort Worth, Waco, Bryan and online. For over 125 years, Tarleton State has been committed to accessible higher education opportunities for all while helping students grow academically, socially and professionally through programs that emphasize real world learning and address regional, state and national needs.